Amusement device



March 27, 1934. c. s. ROSE ET AL AMUSEMENT DEVICE Filed Sept. 21, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 d/MQM BY m5 INVENTOR I 10% km ATTORNEY5 March 27, 1934. Q s ROSE r AL 1,952,822

AMUSEMENT DEVICE Filed Sept. 21, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 a i a 57 M 27 20 1 7 .55 30 33 ATTORNEY5 Patented Mar. 2 7, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE AMUSEMENT DEVICE ration of Wisconsin Application September 21, 1931, Serial No. 564,024

3 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in amusement devices.

It is an object of this invention to provide a plurality of passenger carrying vehicles connected in pairs and driven from a common power transmitting ring pivotally connected with each pair intermediate thereof.

Another object is to provide an annular undulating platform upon each side of the power transmitting ring, the undulations thereof increasing in both radial directions from a common level at the plane of the ring whereby the pairs of vehicles may revolve across the ring about their pivotal connection therewith.

A further object is to provide vehicle body carriages upon which the bodies are revolubly mounted for rotation thereon simultaneously with the foregoing noted vehicle movements.

Other objects will appear as the description of the drawings progresses.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary plan view showing a plurality of vehicles disposed in a circular path.

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional View taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1. i

' Figure 3 is an enlarged plan view of a pair of vehicles shown in Fig. 1.

Figure 4 is an enlarged vertical sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary view in perspective showing means for holding the vehicle body stationary on its carriage.

Like parts are identified by the same reference characters throughout the several views.

This application is directed to the specific modified form disclosed in my application filed August 15, 1931, Serial No. 557,198, and illustrated in Figures 10 and 11 of the latter application.

Figure 2 shows five adjacent units each comprising standards 1, 2, 3 and 4 respectively, mounted in base plates 7, 8, 9 and 10. The standards 1, 2, 3 and 4 are connected by rod 14. The standards 1 and 2 and rod 14 are connected by brackets 17 which are T-shaped and tubular to receive the standards and rod 14, and the standards 3 and 4 are connected with rod 14 by means of cross shaped brackets 17' as indicated. Set screws or pins 18 may be provided in the brackets 17 and base plates 7, 8 and 9 for securing the rods and standards thereto. In order to brace the unit against lateral or radial movement relative to the device, turn-buckle braces 19 may be provided extending diagonally of respective portions of the'unit and respectively connected with a base plate and a bracket.

Extending above the four brackets 17 and 17 are short extensions of standards 1, 2, 3 and 4 upon which are mounted platform supports 20 and 21, carrying inner and outer platform 23 and 24 respectively. The supports 20 and 21 are provided on their under side with sockets to receive the upper ends of supports 1, 2, 3 and 4.

The platforms 23 and 24 are disposed in concentric paths and each undulated to provide high and low portions. The high portions of each platform are radially opposite the low portions of the other platform.

The platforms each have portions 23 and 24 which are not undulating but are disposed in a horizontal plane coinciding with the upper face of ring 27. The ring is mounted on flanged rollers 28, each rotatable on a rod 14. The ring comprises a connection between the platforms for the purpose hereinafter described. In order to prevent the ring 27 from leaving the rollers 28, the brackets 17 on standard 3 may each be provided with an arm 32 carrying a roller 33 which engages the upper surface of the ring flanges 27. a

The ring 27 may be I-shaped in cross section and is provided upon its outer periphery with a groove 29 for receiving a rope 30 which encircles the ring and the pulley 31.

As shown in the drawings, pulley 31 is driven from a suitable source of power 35 through worm wheel 36, worm 37, shaft 38, gear 39, pinion 40, and shaft 41 connected with the source of power 35. The source of power 35 may be disposed at the center of the device and within a pit 42.

Ring 27 carries a bracket 34 for each pair of carriages. Each bracket 34 is provided with a vertically extending pin 93 which passes through aperture 92 in the pivot bar 91. The aperture 92 is flared at its ends to permit the bar to rock as well as rotate on the pin. Carried by the bar 91 are inner rod 48 and outer rod 49, each rotatably secured to carriages 85 and 86. To secure the carriages against movement longitudinally of their respective rods 48 and 49, collars 87 engage the outer faces of the bearing flanges 53 on each, carriage. The carriages are each provided with castor rollers 88 which run on the platforms 23 and 24.

Suitable means (not shown) may be provided for enabling persons desiring to ride in the vehicles to gain access to the platforms 23 and 24 when the vehicles are stationary.

The ring 27 as well as the platforms 23 and 24 may be made in sections as disclosed in the prior application noted above. is not disclosed herein.

Fig. 1 shows two pairs of vehicles connected to the ring 2'7. However, it will be understood that any desired number may be so connected according to the size of amusement device desired. Likewise the structural detail may be altered without departing from the spirit of this invention.

The rods 48 and 49 extend from pivot bar 91 provided with an aperture 92 flared at its open ends to accommodate the vertical reciprocation and rotative movement of the rods. Since the ring 27 disposed between the platforms, coincides at its upper face substantially with the upper faces of the platforms, as previously noted, the vehicles may revolve about pin 93 and pass from one platform to the other.

For instance, when the carriage 86 is traveling up an inclined portion of the platform 23, and the carriage 85 is traveling down an inclined portion of theplatform 24, the forward movement of the carriage 86 will be retarded and that of the carriage accelerated. As a result the two carriages will tend to move about the pin 93 and across the ring 27 to occupy another platform. Of course, this complete action may not take place, but instead the movement may be reversed when the carriage 85 moves up an incline and the carriage 86 moves down an incline. Then too, the movement noted may continue to carry the carriages about the pivot pin 93 so that they will describe a revolutionary movement about the pin 93, a vertical reciprocatory movement, a sidewise tilting movement, and a forward tilting movement, as well as a revolutionary movement in the direction of travel of the ring 27.

Vehicle bodies 100 may be pivotally mounted on the carriages by means of, pivot rods 101 passing centrally through the floor of the vehicle bodies and by means of ball bearings 102. As a result the vehicle bodies may gyrate about the pivot rods or may even rotate thereabout according to the distribution of passenger weights and the influence of the carriage action, previously noted, upon the bodies.

Suitable means may .be provided for holding the vehicle bodies stationary relative to their respective carriages. Such means is illustrated as comprising a vertically movable rod 103 carried by the pivot rod 101 and engageable with the floor of the vehicle in an aperture therein. The rod 103 is vertically slidable in brackets 104 Therefore, this detail on the post 101 which is secured to the carriage 85. When it is desired to secure the body against rotation, the rod 103 will be moved into aperture 106 and vice versa.

The amusement device herein disclosed will cause passengers thereon to describe a variety of movements all simultaneously but of no given or dependable relation to each other. The passengers will be surprised by unexpected motion and will not at any time be able to anticipate in their minds any relativity between the several movements of the vehicles.

I claim:

1. An amusement device comprising a plurality of vehicles connected in pairs, and movable each in a separate circular path, concentric undulating platforms forming said paths and having adjacent portions disposed in substantially a common circular plane, power transmitting means between said platforms, said pairs of vehicles being connected to move positively with respect to each other and connected with said means for rotation about said connection.

2. An amusement device comprising a plurality of vehicles connected in pairs and movable in a circular path, concentric undulating platforms having adjacent portions disposed in substantially a common circular plane, a power transmitting ring disposed between said adjacent portions and having its upper face disposed in said plane, means pivotally connecting said ring and pairs of vehicles, said means including brackets on said ring, a vertical pivot rod on each bracket, links connecting said vehicles and including an apertured portion receiving said rod.

3. In an amusement device a pair of undulating tracks disposed concentrically relative. to a common center and the high points of undulation of each track being radially opposite to low points of the undulations of the other, a pair of carriages mounted on said tracks and connected for definite spaced relation to each other, and means between said tracks for imparting movement to said carriages causing them to travel in the same general direction thereon, said means being pivotally and rotatably connected with said carriages at a point intermediate thereof, whereby the force of gravity will oppositely accelerate and decelerate the forward movement of the respective carriages in each pair. 7 7

CHARLES S. ROSE. JOHN J. MILLER. 

